It's the Family You Make
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Written for Sienna27 & Kavi Leighanna's TV Prompt Forum. Prompt: Desperate Housewives - The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues. When Morgan finds JJ alone, contemplating her life, he helps her realize a few truths. Mostly, that family is ALWAYS family.


_**Author's Note: **__**Calling all readers! Join us for our Awesome January Awards...to recognize and honor the best fics written for any of the challenges on "**__**Chit Chat**__** on Author's Corner" forum! All you have to do is send the title of your favorite fic (and author who wrote it) that was written for a challenge to either ilovetvalot or tonnie2001969's private message inbox. Stories by ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969 are not eligible for competition. Only one vote per person! For more details and full rules, visit Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum. You don't need to be an author to vote, simply visit the forum and review our challenge threads (stories are already and the threads will be pinned to the top of the page). So, everyone, come on over and lets have some fun. Voting commences now and ends January 31, 2011. Awards will be given for first, second and third place.**_

_**Please don't forget about our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner". Currently, we're taking signups for our great Valentine's Gift Fic Exchange and we'd love to have everyone sign up. The more the merrier. Details are at the forum and you can PM us with any questions! WE ONLY HAVE FOUR MORE DAYS LEFT!**_

_**Again, thanks for bearing with me, my fanfic friends!**_

* * *

**It's the Family You Make**

_**TV Prompt: Desperate Housewives - The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues**_

Snow was supposed to be white, wasn't it? If so, then why was the ground grey and dirty instead of bright and pretty?

Kicking the icy substance with the toe of her heel as she sat on the icy bench, she stared into space. She'd thought her life was going to be bright and pretty. She thought she'd finally found the right guy at the right time and that life was good. She had a beautiful son and a new job that, while it wasn't what she'd wanted at first, did offer her more time with that small family she'd created.

And then, poof! Gone.

As if a light switch had been flipped, the light had disappeared and the darkness shrouded what she'd thought she'd known.

Will had informed her two weeks ago that he'd made a huge mistake. The relationship...the son he'd yearned for...all of it. He'd tried to convince himself that it was what he wanted. Hell, he'd convinced her. But, it wasn't. The only thing he wanted was out. He wanted to be free.

Of her. Of Henry.

And her word had began to dissolve around her.

Once, she'd had close friends...a family of sorts that she could have turned to. But, life had changed and the Defense Department didn't exactly lend itself to that easy camaraderie. So, for weeks, she'd wallowed alone, uncertain of what her future was at this point. She knew she couldn't live in the past. Will had made it clear that what she'd thought they'd shared was a wishful manufacturing of her own mind.

And now, she was alone.

Well, not quite alone. He hadn't wanted Henry. In fact, he hadn't wanted anything to do with their two year old..at all. And while she knew she could love her baby enough for both parents - and would- she hated how ultimately unfair this was to him.

"JJ?" she heard a deep familiar voice call from behind her, the tone hesitant as if he was afraid he was wrong.

Looking over her shoulder in surprise, JJ silently cursed her wet cheeks. Crap, somebody she wouldn't be able to bullshit. "Hey!" she called back weakly, forcing a smile to her trembling lips.

Hurrying toward the small blonde as quickly as his long legs would carry him, he frowned. What the hell was somebody as tiny as her doing sitting alone in frigid temperatures on a park bench? "What the hell are you doing out here, girl?" Derek Morgan asked, pulling out his ear buds, an ever present accessory when he jogged.

"I...ahhh...just clearing my head," she shrugged, barely meeting his eyes as she tried to regain control of her rambling thoughts. She hadn't told any of her old friends what was going on in her life. Their own lives were stressful enough. Adding the problems of a former co-worker to their already busy lives was just selfish.

"Oh, that's crap," Derek grunted, sliding down on the bench beside her and offering her a sidelong glance. "What's up?"

"Not much," JJ lied, her eyes staring off at the tree line as she stiffened beside him.

Shaking his head as he stared down at the petite blonde, Derek rolled his eyes. "First, star profiler sitting to your left." Hearing JJ's snort, he amended, "Okay, fine...rising star profiler. Second, and most importantly, you can't lie for shit, JJ. Lay it on me."

"Derek," JJ muttered, waving her bare hand in the air. "It's just been a lousy couple of weeks. This," she said, gesturing at the deserted park, "has sorta become my hideaway."

"Uhmm, an empty park bench in a dangerous city at night. Not likin' the sound of this plan," he muttered, dropping an arm around the bench as he leaned back. "At least tell me that you're still packin'," he ordered.

"Guns aren't required for DOD." JJ shook her head tiredly, wondering how many other things had changed that quickly in her life. "But I've got my pepper spray," she said as she grinned, holding up her key chain. "And my ability to kick ass," she added with a wink.

"Hmmphh," Derek grunted, dissatisfied.

She raised an eyebrow. "As I remember, I could regularly hand you your balls in hand to hand practice."

"Don't remind me," Derek groaned as he grimaced. "My left nut still hasn't recovered from our last scrappin' session."

"Poor Garcia," JJ sighed with a small laugh.

"Yeah, she's pissed at you anyway...hasn't heard from you in over two weeks. She's goin' through Henry withdrawals, woman," Derek chastised. Seeing JJ's face pale, he murmured, "What gives, Pretty Girl?"

"It's nothing." JJ shrugged, cursing her thickening voice.

"That's crap. I can put Garcia on the search to unearth the answers. We both know it'll piss her off to have to go look for what you should just tell us. We're still family, you know?"

"I know," she whispered with a nod.

"Then you know family can tell family anything...no judgments," Derek reminded her.

"It's not that simple, Derek," JJ murmured, an uncomfortable flush climbing her cheeks. How the heck did she tell him that the guy she thought had been "THE" guy had left her...and their child? That the guy each member of her team had liked...respected...had just bailed out without a backward glance?

"It's me, JJ. Your bro," he urged, bumping her arm. "C'mon. What gives?"

Biting her lips as the cold wind blasted their faces, JJ inhaled deeply, gathering courage. "Will left."

"Left where?" Derek asked easily. "Business trip?"

Snorting, JJ shook her head. "He left, Derek."

Comprehension dawning, Derek stiffened. "I lied. There's some definitive judgment coming...when I snap that little Cajun bastard's spine. What do you mean left, JJ?" he asked angrily.

"He wasn't happy, so he left." JJ shrugged self-consciously, uncertain how to explain something she didn't understand herself. She still wasn't sure what happened...what went wrong.

"Wasn't happy?" Morgan echoed. "What about Henry...the life you two had built together?"

"He said he made a mistake. That this...we weren't what he wanted," JJ answered, her voice weak. "So he went back to Louisiana."

"He walked out on you and his kid?" Morgan snarled, his gloved hand fisting against his palm. Suddenly thankful for the brisk, cold air, he inhaled heavily. "Mother fucker," he said succinctly.

"Morgan...Derek, don't please," JJ whispered. "I'm already having enough trouble figuring out where I went wrong. That...the name calling won't help. I tried it already."

"Oh, Christ," Morgan snapped, offering his pale, blonde friend an incredulous look. "Don't you fucking dare, JJ."

"Dare what?" JJ frowned, confused by the anger in his face.

"Don't you pull that all too typical "God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" bullshit. Him skulking off like a spineless shit has nothing to do with what you did or didn't do and everything to do with what a worthless bastard he is," Morgan bit out. "You," he said, grabbing her cold hand in his, "deserve fucking better than a coward. And Henry having no dad at all is better than having a shit for brains daddy."

"I'd forgotten how you like to tell it like it is," JJ reminisced with a faint smile.

"Ain't any point in lying or sugar coating it for you," Derek retorted as he shrugged. "My question is why the fuck didn't you call one of us."

"Why?" JJ repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Because, by sunset, Will's body would have been floating down the Potomac, compliments of you, Rossi, and Hotch. Emily and Pen would have been directing the boat while Reid worked out the best way to sink the body."

"Not too late for that," Morgan grunted, his eyes flashing. "Say the word."

"No," JJ said definitively. "Besides, you guys have your own lives now. I'm not a member of the team anymore..."

"Hey!" Morgan yelped. "You will always be a member of our team, official or not. But more important, you're family. I'm soooo gonna have Garcia kick your ass for holding out on us."

"Not gonna do it yourself?" JJ teased, squeezing his hand as she began to remember the happiness that came from having a family.

"Nope. I still need at least my right nut," Derek quipped as he grinned, tugging his friend to her feet. "Where's your car?" he asked, glancing toward the dim parking lot.

"Over there," JJ said, pointing to her grey Impala. "Why?"

"Because, we're gonna go pick up my nephew and head over to Baby Girl's house where I'm gonna convene a family meeting and you're gonna tell everybody the truth about why you've been avoiding us."

"Morgan," JJ hesitated, her feet suddenly rooting into the ground as she stopped moving.

"Nuh uh. You come to us or we come to you...and I can guarantee it's gonna be a lot louder if we come to you," he threatened. "We're all family, JJ. You forgot for a minute and I forgive you. But now, it's time for you to remember who's got your back."

And as JJ met Derek's dark eyes and listened to his solemn words, she nodded. She did need her family. If anybody on earth could get her and Henry through their despair, it was them. And, honestly, she missed each one of them.

"Okay," she said softly, letting him pull her forward once again.

And as Morgan predicted, that family still had her back. And always would.

_**Finis**_

* * *

_**Dedicated to My Hero!**_


End file.
